Reunion
by theperksofbeinglarissa
Summary: Bakugou hasn't seen Deku in over five years. Not since Deku's mother swept him off to Hosu after middle school. Now, here he is attending the same University. What are the odds? Will old feelings resurface for them both, or has the way they parted and the years away from one another damaged their relationship for good? College!Au
1. Chapter 1

"Thanks for helping me with this, Uraraka," Izuku said, grabbing the last couple of boxes from the back of the moving van and bumping the door closed with his hip.

"Of course, Deku. I'm so excited that you're moving into the same dorm as me." She smiled back at Izuku as he followed her up the stairwell.

Izuku had been looking forward to this for so long. UA University had been his dream for as long as he could remember and here he was. It was one of the most prestigious schools in the country and he'd barely managed to pass the entrance exam to get in. But he had, and now here he was at the school of his dreams.

Several of his friends were attending the same university. They'd made a pact in high school and they'd stuck to it. Uraraka and Todoroki lived in the same complex he was moving into, while Iida,Tokoyami, and Asui were all the way on the other side of the campus.

He'd been late moving in. His mom had insisted they go on one last vacation before Izuku went off to college and abandoned her - her words, not his. Their flight back had been delayed by storms and he'd barely made it back in time. He didn't blame her though. He was going to miss her as much as she was him.

Izuku and Uraraka were going up their third flight of stairs and honestly Izuku was getting a little winded. What was even in the boxes he was carrying? He should have labelled them. Everything is 20/20 in hindsight, he supposed.

His room was on the fourth floor directly above Todoroki's room. Uraraka lived on the same floor but on the other side of the building - the girls side. UA's attempt at keeping their students more focused on their studies than their libidos. It didn't really work, honestly, but no one was going to tell them that.

"How much further?" Izuku was starting to sweat as Uraraka bounced along ahead of him.

She laughed back at him, carrying her own box casually under her arm, propped up on her hip like it weighed nothing.

_Really should have labeled them._

They emerged from the stairwell onto an open-air walkway with dorms lining one wall and railing along the otherside overlooking the courtyard between the two sections of the building. It was quite the view, the courtyard beautifully designed with ornate fountains and neatly kept walking paths. A groundskeeper shuffled about down below raking the freshly fallen leaves into neat piles only for them to be swept away by the chilly autumn breeze.

Izuku hoisted his boxes up a little further as they walked. He couldn't see anything in front of him, but he trusted Uraraka to make sure he didn't trip over anything and wind up in the courtyard four stories down. Unfortunately, she wasn't paying as much attention as she should have been to where Deku was going. She stopped in front of his door and Izuku walked right past her.

She saw him moving out of the corner of her eye and turned to tell him to stop about a second too late.

"What the fu-" Someone started to say in an angry tone, comment trailing off in a grunt as both them and Izuku hit the ground. The boxes Izuku had been carrying landed off to the side, comic books scattered across the floor.

_So that's why they were so heavy. _

Izuku rubbed his sore behind, eyes scrunched up in pain.

_Ouch. _

"I'm so sorry," Izuku said. His eyes landed on the person on the ground across from him and his whole body went stiff.

_No way._

"Kacchan?"

X

Bakugou woke up with the headache to end all headaches. Why he'd let Kirishima talk him into going to that party last night was beyond him.

"It's the last day before classes," he'd said with that pleading look on his face.

"So what?" Bakugou couldn't have cared less. He wasn't interested in partying. People were annoying, especially when intoxicated and in large groups.

"I'll buy you lunch for a month."

Bakugou had paused at that. A tempting offer considering he was kind of broke.

He'd sighed and grudgingly agreed. It had, in fact, been a mistake.

He groaned as a beam of sunlight cut through his blinds, wincing. He emerged from his bedroom into the small living room. The dorm rooms were set up like small apartments with a bedroom, bathroom, and a combination living room/kitchen. Bakugou was just glad he didn't have to deal with roommates since everyone got their own dorm. The perks of going to a school with as much funding as UA.

He glanced at the clock hanging above his TV.

_Shit._

It was already noon. No wonder he felt like crap - other than the epic hangover, that is. Bakugou was used to getting up early in the morning to go for a run. His friends thought he was insane, because who the hell gets up at five in the morning to exercise? Whatever.

He started up the coffee maker, in desperate need of a crap ton of caffeine if he was going to make it through the day. He heard noises outside, people talking and laughing. They were being particularly loud about it, and the walls around here might as well have been made of paper for how little soundproofing they provided.

He was in no mood to put up with overly loud and bubbly people. His eyes narrowed as the voices got loud, presumably getting closer. Bakugou stomped towards the door, intent on telling whatever idiots were blabbing about out there to shut the fuck up.

Bakugou slammed the door of his room open and marched outside, already beginning to tell the strangers off. He'd barely gotten out the door when he was knocked to the ground, boxes flying and scattering what looked like comic books all over the place.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his head where it had connected with the concrete.

_Oh, I'm gonna kill whoever the hell did this._

"I'm so sorry," came an oddly familiar voice.

Bakugou sat up, prepared to strangle the guy. Then he saw who it was.

_No. Fucking. Way. _

Dark green eyes stared back at him, looking equally as shocked. Bakugou was at a loss for words.

"Kacchan?"

"Deku?"

Bakugou couldn't believe his eyes. What were the fucking odds? Deku of all people. He hadn't seen him since middle school.

Izuku got to his feet, brushing himself off and then strolled over to where Bakugou was still sprawled out on the ground. He offered him a hand, still a little awe-struck at having somehow wound up at the same university as his childhood friend. The same friend who, coincidentally, Izuku had had an _epic _crush on in middle school.

Bakugou stared at the hand being offered for a second longer than necessary, still processing the situation. He batted the hand away, getting to his feet on his own and crossing his arms over his chest defensively as he stared at the boy he'd grown up with.

He looked so different. He was taller, for one. Still not quite as tall as Bakugou, but much closer than he'd been the last time they'd seen each other. Bakugou had towered over Deku since they were little, but now there were only a few meager inches separating them.

Not only taller, but he'd filled out as well. He wasn't the same scrawny kid Bakugou had known as a child. He was fit, lean muscle running the length of his body. He was still thin, but scrawny he most certainly was not. He still had that pale skin, freckles spattered across his cheeks and nose, littering his shoulders and running down his arms.

Izuku flushed as Bakugou blatantly looked him up and down. He said nothing, expression blank, unreadable. Izuku didn't dare say anything as the man scrutinized him. Instead, he used the opportunity to check Bakugou out in return.

His platinum blond hair was as unkempt as always, though perhaps a little more mussed, like he'd just rolled out of bed. Bakugou had always been in good shape, but while he was well muscled in middle school, he looked near god-like now. He was dressed in a pair of baggy grey sweatpants and nothing else. No shoes, no shirt, and Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't having a hard time keeping his eyes from lingering in places they shouldn't. Izuku had always thought he was attractive, but _damn._

Uraraka watched the two look each other over in silence. It was an odd thing to witness and honestly she was incredibly confused by the whole ordeal. It was getting a little weird, actually.

She cleared her throat, making Deku jump. "Should I leave you two alone?"

Izuku flushed. "No, no, that's not necessary," he squeaked out, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Bakugou had yet to say anything.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Uraraka asked. It was pretty obvious they knew each other, though she wasn't clear on how.

"Oh! Right," Izuku scrambled. "Uraraka, this is Bakugou Katsuki. We grew up together. He was my next door neighbor before I moved to Hosu."

_Ooh._

Uraraka's lips curled up into a wicked smile.

_So it's _that _Kacchan. _

Izuku did not like that look. Not one bit.

"Nice to meet you, Bakugou. I'm Uraraka Ochaco. I went to high school with Deku." She extended a hand as a greeting. Bakugou didn't even glance down at it, his eyes never leaving Deku.

Uraraka lowered her hand, eyes flitting from Bakugou to Deku and back again. What was with this atmosphere?

Izuku's gaze turned back to Bakugou. He was still on edge, and Bakugou's intense gaze was not helping things. "Long time no see, Kacchan," he tried nervously. Still, Bakugou said nothing.

The silence stretched on for a few more torturously long moments before Bakugou finally spoke.

"Watch where you're going, shitty nerd."

Izuku and Uraraka watched in shocked silence as Bakugou casually strolled back into his dorm and slammed the door behind him.

"...What on earth was that about?" Uraraka questioned, stunned.

"I honestly have no idea."

X

Bakugou slammed the door behind him, leaning up against it as he stared wide-eyed into the scarcely decorated space. He was breathing hard, pulse racing. He could hear his heartbeat pounding away in his ears as his gaze danced around the room, not actually looking at anything in particular.

He let his head fall back against the door, barely registering the sting from where he'd hit the ground a few minutes ago. The last thing he'd expected when he woke up this morning was to run into _Deku_ of all people. He wasn't prepared for that, not after so long. Bakugou hadn't seen Deku since his mother had moved them to Hosu after middle school. The sudden departure had hit Bakugou pretty hard. He didn't have many friends, and while he didn't really treat Deku especially friendly, they'd always been close in a way.

They were inseparable when they were kids. Deku followed Bakugou around everywhere, practically worshipped him. Then puberty hit and something changed. Bakugou couldn't deal with Deku clinging to him all the time, couldn't deal with how close he would get. It took him awhile to figure out what in the hell was going on, but once he did, oh boy.

He started pushing Deku away, not sure what to do about what he was feeling. Deku tried so hard to be around him, but the closer he got the more freaked out Bakugou became. By the time Deku and his mother moved, they were barely speaking to each other. Bakugou had even started teasing him with the rest of the class, calling him names and poking fun. It helped him feel more detached.

And now here he was, five years later, sliding down the door of his dorm room, face flushed and heartbeat thrumming away in his chest because _holy shit. _Deku got _hot._


	2. Chapter 2

Oh shit. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. It was bad enough that Izuku ended up with Kacchan for a neighbor - oh, the irony - but they were both art majors. Izuku had always been into comic books. He'd started drawing at a pretty young age, but it got really serious once he got into high school.

He'd actually gotten into UA on an art scholarship. There was no way his mother would have been able to afford the tuition to such a prestigious school, but Izuku had defied the odds and won the scholarship - one of only five offered every year. His mother had been ecstatic, though that elation had subsided some when she realized he'd be moving so far away. Still, she was happy for him.

When they were kids, Izuku and Kacchan had a mutual passion for art. They both loved comic books and superheroes. While Izuku put his passion into drawing comics, Kacchan had always been drawn to painting.

He could remember Kacchan at six years old, sitting in the middle of the art room during recess, covered in paint with a canvas in his lap. It was the happiest he'd ever seen him. He'd never forget that smile. His rough exterior had faded for that brief moment, and for the first time he was just a happy kid who loved art.

They'd been so close back then. Now? Well, they hadn't seen or spoken to each other in a little over five years. They barely knew each other anymore, but they were about to get much better acquainted.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bakugou muttered under his breath as Deku walked through the doors of the classroom. Kaminari looked up from his textbook to see what Bakugou was bitching about now.

He followed Bakugou's gaze across the lecture hall to where a very pretty green-haired boy had just walked in and was looking for a seat. Kaminari glanced back over at Bakugou, who had yet to stop staring at said boy, eyes narrowed in annoyance but a slight flush to his cheeks that spoke of something a little different. Kaminari grinned mischievously to himself.

"Hey, you!" Kaminari shouted across the room, gaining the green-haired boys attention. Bakugou straightened, shooting Kaminari a look that said 'I will fucking kill you.' Kaminari had been friends with Bakugou long enough that his death stares and threats didn't phase him anymore.

The green haired boy pointed to himself, looking straight at Kaminari questioningly.

"Yeah, you. Come sit over here, this seat's free."

Izuku glanced warily at the golden-haired boy grinning at him, his gaze flitting to Bakugou briefly before falling to the floor. He did not look happy. Unfortunately, the seat the blonde was referring to seemed to be the only seat left available. Izuku sighed in defeat and trudged up the steps to where Bakugou and the blonde were seated.

Kaminari ignored Bakugou's burning gaze and welcomed the newcomer. "Hey, I'm Kaminari Denki, nice to meet ya." He smiled warmly as the other boy plopped down in the seat next to him.

"Midoriya Izuku," he replied, returning Kaminari's smile.

"The unpleasant one is my pal, Bakugou," Kaminari said, jabbing his thumb towards Bakugou, seething in the seat next to him.

"He knows who I am, dumbass," Bakugou barked.

Kaminari turned to him, confusion plain on his face. Izuku filled him in.

"Childhood friends, huh?" Kaminari pondered, more talking to himself than Izuku.

"Uh, yeah," Izuku replied, mildly uncomfortable considering the current atmosphere. The irritation rolling off of Bakugou was palpable in the air, almost stifling. Izuku just tried to laugh it off and ignore him. He wasn't sure exactly what he'd done - aside from knocking him to the ground, but that was an accident.

Honestly, he was happy to see Kacchan. He thought that maybe after all this time they could work things out, become friends again. He'd given up hope of anything more a long time ago, though seeing him again had brought all of those old feelings bubbling back to the surface. But with the cold - near hostile - attitude Kacchan was displaying he was starting to think that wasn't going to happen. At least not anytime soon. Not that he wasn't going to give it his best shot.

"So, you're an art major, obviously," Kaminari said, pointing at the sketchbooks poking out of Izuku's bag, "but what's your specialty? What's your thing?"

"Comics," Izuku replied swiftly, an easy smile crossing his face. He loved talking about his comics, his art. It was his passion and he loved it when anyone took an interest.

Bakugou perked up a little at this. He still wasn't looking at Deku, but he was listening with keen interest.

"Ooh," Kaminari cooed, intrigued. "Can I see?" he asked excitedly.

"Yeah, sure," Izuku replied, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he reached for one of his sketchbooks. Izuku loved showing people his work, but it still made him nervous. There was always the possibility they wouldn't like it, and Izuku's ego wasn't particularly robust as it was.

Kaminari flipped through the sketchbook containing bits of unfinished comic strips, character designs, some random sketches. He was impressed. Midoriya was good. Like, _really _good.

"These are great!" he said ecstatically, still flipping through the sketchbook.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You're really talented."

Izuku smiled, a warm feeling flooding his chest. He was proud of his work, regardless of what others thought, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the praise.

Bakugou was looking over Kaminari's shoulder at Deku's drawings. Honestly, he was impressed. Deku had been good when they were kids, but the stuff he was drawing now was damn near professional quality. He really did have a gift for this kind of thing.

Izuku glanced up, catching Bakugou's expression as he watched Kaminari flip through pages of the sketchbook. He couldn't help the swell of pride or the smile that cross his face. Bakugou actually looked impressed. It was subtle, but despite the years apart, Izuku liked to think he could still read him pretty well. Bakugou didn't show emotion particularly well, so you had to get pretty good at deciphering his subtle expressions if you wanted any chance of figuring out what he was thinking. Even then it was pretty hit or miss.

Bakugou caught Izuku's gaze and flushed. "What are you looking at?" he grumbled in an irate tone. He tended to cover embarrassment with anger. He tended to cover a _lot _of things with anger, actually.

Izuku looked away quickly, a slight flush tinting his cheeks. Bakugou noticed this, but brushed it off as embarrassment and went back to flipping through his textbook grumpily.

Kaminari flipped through the last few pages and handed the sketchbook back to Midoriya. "Got anymore?"

"Uh, yeah."

Izuku tugged his bag up on the table. He carried around a lot of sketchbooks, far more than necessary. It was a bad habit, but one he couldn't seem to break. He shuffled through the multiple sketchbooks, looking for one he didn't mind Kaminari looking through. His hands shook nervously as he searched. Izuku accidentally knocked one of the sketchbooks onto the floor. He lunged for it, realizing which one it was and trying to get it before anyone saw.

Too late.

Kaminari picked it up before Izuku could get to it, holding it just out of reach while he looked at the contents. His eyes widened a bit as he realized what he was seeing. This sketchbook wasn't like the last one. The other one had been filled with comic book characters, stylized drawings, not realistic. But this one was full of gorgeous sketches of near photo-realistic quality. He flipped through a few pages, mostly full of animals or landscapes.

He got to one page and stopped dead. "I-is that Bakugou?"

_Oh god._

Bakugou glanced up at this, doing his best to ignore the whole ordeal until then. His gaze shot to the sketchbook held above Kaminari's head. Deku was desperately trying to get it but Kaminari had it just out of reach. Bakugou snatched the book from Kaminari's outstretched hand before he could protest and flipped through a couple pages.

It was him. Sketch after sketch of Bakugou. Some of him as a little kid, some from middle school. None went beyond that, but that wasn't surprising since they hadn't seen each other since then. But it wasn't so much the fact that Deku was drawing him that surprised him, it was the way he was drawn. Bakugou barely recognized himself. He was smiling, bright and brilliant. These were painstakingly drawn, down to the finest detail. They were sketched with care, affection even. Bakugou slowly looked over at Deku, expression unreadable.

Izuku was blushing a deep crimson. No one was meant to see those, _especially _not Kacchan. He lunged forward ripping the sketchbook from Bakugou's hands and stuffing it back into his bag. He was flushed from his ears to his collarbone.

_What the hell?_

Bakugou was about to question him when the instructor walked in, an unhappy and exhausted looking man with long black hair and a look on his face that said 'If you talk in my class I'll fail you without hesitation'. Bakugou shut his mouth and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed and jaw set.

X

That was the longest class of Izuku's life. It was over about noon and everyone flooded out of the room at once, eager to get to lunch or their next class.

"Hey, Midoriya," Kaminari called when Izuku tried to flee. He turned, smiling at the approaching blonde.

"What's up?" He asked, eyeing Bakugou who trailed behind Kaminari, refusing to look at him. He frowned.

"You should totally come eat with us. We're going to meet up with our buddy Kirishima at the pub in town. I think you two would get along great." Kaminari was wearing this stupidly wide grin, clearly unaware of how uncomfortable both Bakugou and Midoriya were at the moment.

"Uh, I'd love to but I, um…" Izuku trailed off, trying to come up with an excuse.

"What," Bakugou butted in, "You got somewhere better to be, nerd?"

Izuku frowned, eyes narrowing slightly. Fine, if he wanted to play it that way, that was just fine.

"Nope," he replied, never breaking eye contact with Bakugou, "Sounds like fun, let's go."

"Awesome!" Kaminari exclaimed, looping his arm through Midoriya's and leading the three of them away.

The pub wasn't far from UA, about a ten minute walk. When they got there, an animated redhead with hair stuck up in messy spikes greeted them from behind the bar. He stepped out, wiping his hands on his apron as he approached the trio.

"Bakugou, my man!" The redhead said enthusiastically. Bakugou actually cracked a small smile, which surprised Izuku. It looked good on Bakugou; a smile. He should do it more often, Izuku thought.

The two of them did some weird little handshake that ended in a fist bump, then they followed the redhead back to the bar.

"Who's this?"

"Oh, shit, sorry," Kaminari exclaimed, "This is Midoriya, he's in our Art History class. Midoriya, this is Kirishima, the guy I was telling you about."

"Nice to meet ya," Kirishima said, grin wide as he extended a hand. Izuku took it, returning the smile. He seemed like a nice guy.

Kirishima turned back to Kaminari and Bakugou. "The usual?"

They pair nodded. Kirishima turned back to him. "What about you?"

Izuku stared at him confused for a moment. "Uh, surprise me." Kirishima laughed at that then retreated to the back room behind the bar - the kitchen, Izuku guessed.

"That was a mistake," Kaminari muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips as he picked at the bowl of peanuts in front of him.

"What do you mean?"

Kaminari sat up and turned to face Midoriya. "Never tell Kirishima to surprise you. God knows what he'll bring you."

Izuku frowned. On Kaminari's other side, Bakugou snickered under his breath. It was a pleasant sound, something Izuku hadn't heard in a very long time.

X

Turned out Kaminari was right. When Kirishima returned with their food Izuku grimaced at the plate that was set in front of him. Kirishima only laughed, obviously enjoying the reaction his plate of wiggly calamari had elicited. As much as Izuku wanted to be polite, he hadn't touched it. Not that anyone had actually expected him to, which he supposed was the point. Next time he'd have Kaminari order for him or just pick something himself.

It was a little after two o'clock when they'd left the pub. Kirishima had waved them goodbye enthusiastically and Izuku couldn't help but notice how Kaminari's gaze lingered a little longer than necessary. _Hmm._

"This was fun," Izuku said cheerfully, smiling brightly as they walked.

"Yeah!" Kaminari agreed. "We come here almost everyday, you're welcome to join us."

"Heh, maybe," Izuku replied with a laugh.

They all headed separate ways once they reached campus. Izuku had another class, as did Bakugou. Kaminari's next class wasn't for a few hours, so he opted for the library.

As they split up, Izuku found himself watching Bakugou as he walked in the opposite direction. When he disappeared around a corner, Izuku sighed.

_Get ahold of yourself._

He shook his head, a determined smile set on his lips as he turned and made his way to his next class.

He made a decision then and there. Izuku didn't want this to turn out like it did in middle school. He wasn't going to let his fear of rejection get between he and Kacchan's friendship. And he wasn't going to let Kacchan push him away anymore either. Like it or not, he was just going to have to deal with Izuku being in his life again.


	3. Chapter 3

Did he really have to look that angry all the time? Sure, Izuku had to admit that to a certain extent, that was just kind of how Kacchan's face was. But even with that in mind, he had this constantly irate expression around Izuku.

Despite this, it did seem like he was starting to warm up to Izuku a bit. At the very least he wasn't avoiding him anymore, not that he had much of a choice. Kaminari and Kirishima had pretty much adopted Izuku into their friend group. Anytime they hung out, Izuku was invited along.

Izuku was more than happy with this arrangement. He was determined to rekindle his friendship with Bakugou, no matter how long it took.

"Alright, that's it for today," the professor droned, then added, "and _don't _forget the reading." A pointed look Kaminari's way had him flushing with embarrassment. Or was it shame? Izuku just laughed, patting his friend on the back and gathering his things.

They meandered down the hall, that having been their last class of the day. Bakugou hung back, still walking but doing his best to appear as though he wasn't acquainted with either Izuku or Kaminari. He did that a lot these days.

They were about halfway to the dorms when Izuku stopped, waving the others on.

"I have to run to the store," he began as Kaminari looked at him questioningly. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Kaminari just shrugged, giving Izuku a beaming grin before trotting off toward the dorms.

Bakugou lingered a moment, almost as if he wanted to say something. Izuku watched him with keen interest. Bakugou caught his gaze.

"What are you looking at, nerd?" Bakugou barked.

Izuku put his hands up defensively. "Nothing, sorry…" he trailed off.

Bakugou huffed and stormed off, quickly catching up to Kaminari. Izuku sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, but damned if Bakugou wasn't making it that much harder to break down this wall between them.

X

"Crap, crap, crap…" Izuku muttered as he made his way up the stairs toward his room. It was dark out now, nearly midnight. He'd only meant to pick up a few essentials at the store and go straight home, but that plan went out the window when he'd discovered the comic book store right next door to the market. He'd spent much longer than intended inside. Izuku still had homework to do, which at this point he'd probably have to pull an all-nighter to finish.

Izuku got to his door and fished in his pocket for his keys. Nothing. He searched his other pocket, then his back ones. He stared wide-eyed at the locked door before him.

_You've got to be kidding me. _

He leaned against his door, contemplating how he could get into his room this late at night. All the administrative offices were closed at this time of night. Hell, _everything _was closed at this time of night. He briefly considered trying to pick the lock, but the likelihood of that working considering he'd never actually done it before was slim to none.

An idea hit him and he glanced at the door to his left.

_Bad idea,_ a voice in the back of his head warned. He gulped and ignored it.

Izuku paused in front of Bakugou's door, fist raised, ready to knock. This really was a stupid idea, but what other choice did he have? Each dorm room had a small balcony opposite the front door, and Izuku never bothered to lock that door. Why would he? He doubted anyone was likely to scale the building just to break into his dorm room. Though, considering what he was about to attempt, he might rethink his position on that.

Finally, he knocked. Hesitant at first, barely tapping the cold metal of the door. No response. He knocked harder, the sound of it echoing down the empty walkway. He winced when he heard a crash from inside.

_Oh crap,_ he thought. _This really wasn't a good idea. He's gonna be _pissed.

Izuku was two seconds away from fleeing when the door was slammed open, a very irate, very disheveled looking Bakugou looming in the doorway. His blonde hair stuck out in every direction, somehow even messier than usual, and he had a blanket draped over his shoulders. Izuku gulped, now frozen in his spot.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Bakugou hissed. His voice was gravely from sleep, and Izuku would be lying if he said he didn't find that the least bit hot. Now so wasn't the time for thoughts like that, though.

Izuku started to reply, though, to be honest, his brain hadn't actually worked out what he was going to say yet. That happened a lot. It was why most of what came out of his mouth was incoherent blathering as his brain sussed out what to say. Luckily, he didn't get the chance to embarrass himself further as Bakugou cut him off the second he opened his mouth.

"Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?!"

He was shouting now, making Izuku wince. If he kept that up, Bakugou was liable to wake up the whole floor. Izuku shushed him, putting his finger to his lips. A move he quickly regretted as Bakugou's eyes narrowed, irritation blazing in those crimson red eyes Izuku was so fond of.

He cut in before Bakugou could start yelling again. "I lost my keys," he stated simply.

This gave Bakugou pause. He blinked, processing, then frowned at the idiot before him. "So?" he replied. "What's that got to do with me?" He was still seething, but at least he wasn't shouting. At that point, that was all Izuku could ask for.

"I was hoping I could use your balcony to hop over to mine? I didn't lock my back door and I can't think of another way to get in and all the administrative offices are closed now and I've got so much homework to do and I didn't mean to be out for so long but there was this comic book store and I-"

Bakugou slapped a hand over Izuku's mouth and leaned in dangerously close.

"Shut. Up."

Izuku swallowed, feeling so small under Bakugou's withering gaze. "Sorry," he muttered when Bakugou finally withdrew his hand. He expected Bakugou to slam the door in his face, probably much harder than necessary knowing him.

But, he didn't. Instead, he sighed heavily and stalked back into his room, leaving the door open for Izuku to follow. Izuku stood there for a moment, shocked. A smile slowly formed on his lips. He was letting Izuku in. Literally. It was just a little thing, but it was _something. _

"Are you gonna stand there all night or are you coming in?!" Bakugou barked, snapping Izuku out of his trance.

"Sorry!"

Izuku stumbled inside, closing and locking the door behind him. Bakugou was already out the back door and standing on the balcony. Izuku raced across the room as quickly and quietly as possible, doing his best not to trip over any of the clothes strewn about the floor.

He stepped out onto the balcony, breathing in the night air as he let his gaze wander over to Bakugou, who had yet to say anything since stepping outside. He wasn't looking at him. Bakugou's gaze swept out across the skyline, the city lights twinkling in the distance. It was the kind of thing, Izuku remembered, that Bakugou was fond of painting. He did a lot of landscapes and cityscapes. At least from what Izuku had seen, anyway.

Izuku wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything that wasn't liable to get him chewed out. He sighed quietly and turned in the direction of his own balcony. He paused as glanced over the edge of the railing. The distance between the two balconies was much further than he'd thought, and that was a very long way down.

"Um.."

"What?" Bakugou snapped, turning to face Izuku. He noticed him peering over the edge and made the connection. "You're afraid of heights," he stated simply. No yelling, no harshness in his tone.

There'd been an incident back in middle school, something Bakugou wasn't proud of. He was a kid. A stupid kid who didn't realize the impact the things he said could have on people. It had slipped out without him thinking about it. He really wished he could take it back.

Izuku didn't respond, just continued staring at the ground four stories down. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Bakugou stood there as he turned, hand outstretched.

"Here," he said.

Izuku just stared at him blankly, confused. Bakugou sighed, annoyed.

"Take my damn hand, nerd. The sooner you get over that ledge the sooner I can go the hell back to bed." It was a weak excuse and he knew it, but he didn't really care at this point.

Izuku hesitated for a brief moment before doing as he was told. Bakugou helped him up onto the railing, saying nothing as he felt Izuku squeeze his hand tighter. His breath was coming quicker, and Bakugou could feel him shaking ever so slightly where they touched.

"Calm down," he said quietly. So quietly that Izuku almost didn't hear him. Bakugou was never quiet, never caring or comforting. Yet here he was, trying, in his own way, to make Izuku feel better. Izuku took a deep breath and made his way over to his own balcony very, _very _carefully.

Once he had both feet firmly planted on solid ground he let out a huge breath. He was about to turn around and head inside when he realized Bakugou had yet to let go of his hand. Izuku looked over at the blonde, Bakugou's expression unreadable as he stared between them at their intertwined fingers.

"Um, Kacchan?" Izuku started. "You can let go now, I'm okay."

Bakugou's gaze snapped up like he'd woken from a trance or something. He looked back down at their hands. As soon as he realized what he was doing he wrenched his hand from Izuku's and stormed back inside his room, slamming the door without a word. Izuku stared at the empty balcony as he heard the lock click on Bakugou's door, the blinds sliding closed behind it.

_What just happened? _He wondered. Izuku shook his head and turned to go inside his own room. He had a lot of work to do.


End file.
